Treat Yo-Self Healthy

"Do you think you'll get postpartum depression?", a lot of friends and family would ask me when I was pregnant. If you've read some of my other blog posts, you would see that I have struggled with severe anxiety in the past.  "I don't know, probably", was often my reply. Given my history with mood disorders, I assumed it could be likely I would experience some struggles postpartum. Little did I know at the time how hard and fast it would hit me.  Beginning in the first trimester, I experienced depression. Despite being quite open about my mental health, I remained mostly quiet about depression throughout my pregnancy. Since anxiety was more dominant for me in the past, lingering depression was a newer learning curve for me. I believe I kept quiet for a few different reasons: Depression caused a lack of motivation and energy, making it so I didn't want to do anything I normally enjoyed doing. I also didn't feel like talking to anyone. This was com

  There is nothing more frustrating than someone telling you:  "You have anxiety", when it doesn't feel like it. While it may be true, a person who is truly struggling with anxiety may instead hear: I don't believe you You are making this up You are crazy and acting irrationally All your tests have come back normal, you are fine You are not sick, you are anxious You need to calm down, just relax The things you are experiencing are not real It's embarrassing that you have come back again for help A lot of these thoughts stem from not only an ill mindset, but also from poor stigma against mental health.  Acceptance The first, and hardest, part about anxiety is acceptance.  The rough truth about mental health is that you must discover what came first... the chicken or the egg.  Did anxiety come first, causing a lot of physical turmoil? Or did a physical illness occur first, causing a lot of anxiety?  There is a long road ahead of trial & error as both the patien

  Are You Feeling Anxious For the Holidays? Are You Feeling Some Holiday Blues? Whatever Your Current Emotional State, Stress Reduction is Right For You! Excessive or frequent amounts of stress  is unhealthy for overall health and wellness. It is well documented that stress, if not addressed, can lead to feelings of depression, severe anxiety, and disease. Stress Symptoms: There is a vast amount of symptoms for stress, but here are some common ones to name a few: Fatigue Insomnia Frequent illness Panic attacks Emotional distress or moodiness i.e. irritability Worry Acne Digestive issues Nausea High blood pressure Nervous system dysregulation Headaches Restlessness Dizziness Muscle tension Aches or pains Decreased libido Depression Anxiety Feeling overwhelmed or burnt out Memory problems Racing thoughts Eating more or less Stress occurs when our bodies and / or minds are consistently overwhelmed. This can put us in a state of "sympathetic nervous system dominance".  The Nervou

  My favorite part after work (after seeing my husband of course 😉) is coming home and plopping down on the couch! It feels soooo good to sit down and rest my body and brain after a busy day.  Taking a moment for ourselves is is not selfish, it's necessary . Just as we are educated to incorporate daily, physical exercise and practice good eating habits, we should also be educated to incorporate daily, mental rest!  Our minds work 24/7. Think about it... are you ever not thinking about something? (No pun intended 😜) Our stress directly affects our immune system and our ability to heal  1 Below are some tools I have found that can help provide stress relief for your mind, body and soul Massage Stones The first time I saw massage stones was in a nail salon getting a pedicure! Most pedicure places now have an option within their menus for a hot stone massage on the calves and feet. Not only do they have these stones for pedicures in nail salons, but also for places that offer full-b